WYOMING — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) is requesting that any sightings of dead sage grouse be reported to the agency for West Nile virus testing.
WGFD said in the announcement that testing dead birds helps to monitor the scope and impact of the disease across the state. While there are no signs of an outbreak, the agency asks the public annually for reports to help in the management of the state’s sage grouse populations.
West Nile virus is spread by certain mosquitoes, and research has shown sage grouse have a low resistance to the virus, which can be and is usually fatal to the birds. Evidence of the disease has been reported in past years in northeast Wyoming and in surrounding states, according to the WGFD.
“We are particularly interested in sage grouse found in remote areas that have no obvious injuries that might have resulted in their death,” WGFD Sage Grouse/Sagebrush Biologist Nyssa Whitford said in the announcement. “These may occur near water holes or hay fields on private lands.”
Whitford emphasized the need to report dead birds to local Game and Fish personnel quickly so the birds don’t deteriorate to the point they can no longer be tested. Obvious roadkills should not be reported.
For individuals willing to collect carcasses, the chance of getting the virus from handling a dead bird is remote, but picking up the birds with an inverted plastic sack while wearing gloves is recommended. The bagged carcass should be placed into another plastic bag, preferably a trash bag, tied and taken to a Game and Fish Regional Office. The bird should be placed in a freezer if it can’t be delivered quickly to Game and Fish.
The public can help reduce the risk of West Nile Virus by eliminating standing water in small receptacles — like flower pots, discarded tires, small plastic swimming pools and wheelbarrows — where mosquitoes tend to breed.
